London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Bethnal Green 1936

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]

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33
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
There were no changes of great importance in
the Maternity and Child Welfare service during the
year apart from the resignation of Dr. K. M. Horton
at the end of October. We are still anxiously
awaiting the allocation of a site for a Welfare Centre
and Day Nursery in the Re-development Area to
serve the North Ward. It seems probable that a
satisfactory scheme for this purpose will be framed
during 1937.
Co-operation with the maternity hospitals serving
the Borough continues and it will be noted that one
of them has fully accepted the Council's offer to
undertake the ante-natal care of its patients. In the
case of Bethnal Green and London Hospitals we have
now what amounts to a virtual scheme of notification
of pregnancy so that preparations for the confinement
can be supervised by the Health Visitors
from an early stage.
NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS.
During the year, 1,083 live births were registered
in the Borough ; and 1,060 live births were notified to
the Medical Officer of Health. There were also 51
stillbirths notified. Of the 1,111 living and stillbirths
notified, 224 were found to relate to other districts
and were duly transferred, 736 were notified by midwives,
105 by maternity assistants of the London
Hospital, 38 by medical practitioners, and 8 by
parents and others.
Through the courtesy of neighbouring Medical
Officers of Health I also received copies of notifications
of births of Bethnal Green babies which took
place outside the Borough, information as to 472
live babies and 15 stillbirths being received in this
way.
The net total of notified live births belonging to
the Borough was 1,321.